


honey skinned.

by kim_wonpil



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angsty?, Fluff, High School AU, M/M, markhyuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21854857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kim_wonpil/pseuds/kim_wonpil
Summary: the korean transfer kid struggles with english, and mark doesn’t know how to display his feelings.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Kudos: 11





	honey skinned.

**Author's Note:**

> donghyuck arrives at his new school and mark worries about his upcoming tournament.

It was crisp in the cold September air of Vancouver, Canada. Elementary school children were happily skipping to school, stomping and crunching on bronze leaves. Teenagers stood in parking lots of coffee shops and fast food breakfast places, smoking or laughing, hoods up. Adults made their way to work in their cars, cursing and shouting at the traffic-ridden roads. One boy stood out, his name being Donghyuck Lee. 

He was a boy of sunshine and smiles, tongue dripping honey and sugar. Donghyuck, in his Junior year, stood outside his new high school, a huge backpack full of supplies draped on his shoulders, clutching the straps. The sixteen-year-old came from South Korea, just over a month ago. He had no time at all to learn an entirely new language, only knowing a few simple phrases in English such as, “How has your day been?” and “that's really cool!”

Donghyuck plastered a smile that rode up to his dewy cheeks and walked straight.

Mark Lee sweated all over his new tank, his early morning practice soon coming to an end. Scoring one last shot, he wrapped a towel around his neck and set off for the locker room with his teammates. 

“Mark, we’re totally gonna win against the Hornets if you keep playing at this rate!” Johnny yells, jumping to wrap his arm around Mark’s shoulder. Johnny was from Chicago and had practically been Mark’s brother since they were elementary school kids. He was one of the only other Koreans in the school, so the boys bonded quickly. 

“My shoots were nowhere near good enough. I just need to figure out how to perfect them and then we’ll win, I promise.”

Johnny furrows his eyebrows together, a perplexed look upon his face. “You’re kidding, right? You’re perfect, Mark, you scored every single shoot.”

Mark sighs, “But what if they're not perfect on the day?”

Johnny pats his back as they sit down on a bench in the changing rooms. “Don’t worry too much, Mark.”

All whilst they showered and got changed, Mark vented about how scared he was for the final game. This tournament meant everything to the Canadian, so much so that he was willing to not do his homework to practice.

Mark gets up to walk out first, “I really don’t know, Johnny, I just-”

Johnny groans, as the younger boy turns to look at him, “Mark, just go to your English class and stop thinking about it.”

The senior sighed, “I’m sorry, it just means a lot to m-”

Mark is interrupted when he bumps into something soft on his way to the door. Rubbing his nose, he turns to look at what, or rather who he bumped into. 

The boy was honey-coloured, with the plumpest, pinkest lips Mark had ever glanced at. He wore some school hoodie and some blue jeans, all way too big for him, with a mess of golden brown hair on his head. This boy, with the purest and softest expression on his face, bowed quickly, a blush rising to his cheeks.

“Ah, uh, I’m sorry, bro.” Mark stammers, scratching the back of his neck.

“Very sorry!” the boy exclaims, shrugging his shoulders to lift up his backpack. Fuck, his voice was like honey too. “Please, forgive.”

Mark’s eyebrows knit together. This boy seemed to be so confused by their bump that he’d forgotten how to speak proper English.

“How was your day?” the boy asks, a little grin on his lips that was so awkwardly adorable.

“I-It’s seven o’clock, we’ve barely even had a day…”

“That’s really cool!”

Mark looks back to Johnny for help, who is also just as confused. Then, Johnny suddenly starts speaking Korean. Despite being from there, Mark had never learned his country’s language; he never saw the need to.

The boy speaks in perfect, confident Korean, right back at Johnny, making the tall senior nod. Mark stood there, not knowing what on earth was going on.

“He just moved here from Korea,” Johnny explains, switching back to English, “and he said he isn’t good at English, but he really wanted to compliment your basketball skills.”

Mark nods and smiles, although a little embarrassed that he judged the boy.

“You, very good!” the boy says, giving him a thumbs up. Mark thanks him quietly. Then, the non-English speaker continues, “My name is Donghyuck Lee.”

Mark knew Korean names were unusual, at least for a foreigner. Johnny’s Korean name was Youngho, Mark himself was given the name Minhyung by his parents. But Donghyuck was something very different for the Canadian; it suited the honey skinned boy perfectly.  
“I’m Johnny, this is Mark,” Johnny says. He then speaks a little more Korean, and Donghyuck nods. “I just told him that I’d help him find his lessons.”

“Okay,” Mark says, smiling a little. “See you later, Johnny.”  
Before they leave, Donghyuck says something more.

“What was that?” Mark asks.

Johnny translates, as a bright blush appears on Donghyuck’s face, “He says you’re very handsome.”


End file.
